Comelec stops PI proceedings

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has stopped all proceedings relating to the controversial move to amend the Constitution through people's initiative (PI).

Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Monday said that all local election officers in cities and municipalities were ordered to stop accepting signature sheets. All signature pages earlier accepted will remain in local Comelec offices.

Garcia said that the commission en banc arrived at the decision to address the various concerns raised on the initiative that are not covered by Comelec Resolution 10650, such as the rules on amendment and revision.

Resolution 10650 is the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on the conduct of people's initiative to amend the Constitution.

Garcia said that based on their initial assessment, there is a need to review, enhance and add to the IRR in order to address other issues.

The suspension is indefinite until the Commission is able to come up with credible, properly reviewed, revised and enhanced rules on people's initiative," he said.

Garcia said a panel has been created to review the rules.

«This is an act of due diligence on the part of Comelec en banc,» he added.

Among issues that needed attention, he said, were rules on withdrawals, on opposition and on nomination, what is covered by amendment and what is covered by revision, among others.

Garcia said that signatories to the PI would have the chance to withdraw their signatures after the Comelec has formally assumed jurisdiction, which comes after a formal petition has been filed with the Commission.

«At this point, the signature pages [have] no value whatsoever,» he stressed.

He added that those who want to withdraw their signatories need only to show up at their Comelec local office.

Comelec records showed that 209 legislative districts out of a total of 254 have submitted signature forms involving some 7 million signatures.

Under existing rules, the PI signature campaign should get 3 percent of all registered voters in all 254 legislative districts and 12 percent of voters nationwide.

Failure to get 3 percent of voters' signatures in a particular district is ground for the automatic dismissal of a petition filed before the